Academic Course Structure

HMEI Infant/Toddler Education Course Structure

The HMEI Infant/Toddler Education Course provides comprehensive preparation for adults interested in working with children from birth through three years of age, using the Montessori Method. The Education Course is designed as an undergraduate level course which prepares and transforms adult students into Montessori educators. This is a certificate course, approximately twelve months in duration, with discrete Periods of Study designed to run consecutively and without interruption. In addition to the Periods of Study, two Advanced Seminars are required for Certification. The HMEI Education Course consists of six components and is structured as follows:

Period IFoundational Development Period(Academic Clock Hours as needed for completion)

The Foundational Development Period is designed to provide students an opportunity to prepare themselves for the teacher education experience at HMEI. One of the objectives of Period I is to insure that all students arrive at HMEI having read and studied the same introductory material and having had the same important pre-requisite experiences. Period I establishes a baseline for the incoming class and it provides our students a skeletal framework for understanding Montessori theory and philosophy, upon which they may build.

Standards for Completion for Period I

Standards for completion include the study of required readings; one 2-3 hour classroom observation; participation in any scheduled pre-Academic Period conferences, meetings or journaling assignments.

Period IISummer Academic Period (5 weeks)(200 Academic Clock Hours)

The Summer Academic Period is a rigorous, full-time, classroom intensive which involves an in-depth examination of essential core curriculum and supporting curriculum areas that will prepare our students for teaching in a Montessori classroom and enable them to earn an AMS credential. This period of study includes lectures, demonstrations, discussions, workshops and practice sessions. Students will learn to identify queues from infants and toddlers which indicate the need for new challenge, and they will design and create Montessori materials for classroom use. This is a demanding and highly rewarding segment of the HMEI Infant/Toddler Course.

Course components include the following:

Montessori Philosophy

Observation

Environmental Design

Program Leadership

Technology

Early Childhood Overview

Pedagogy

Child, Family, and Community

Personal Growth and Development

Child Development

Professional Development

Standards of Completion for Period II

Successful completion of Period II includes attendance at 90% of lectures, demonstrations and workshops; active participation in discussions and practice sessions; development of classroom materials as required and completion of curriculum albums. Attendance and participation are required. Missed sessions may be made up with the approval of the Academic Director.

The Student Teaching Practicum provides students a real-world experience under the direct supervision of a qualified Montessori educator at a qualified and accredited Montessori school. The Student Teaching Practicum is a key component of the student’s preparation to be a teacher. Although distinct from the Academic Content Period, it is infused with academics and their real-life application with classes and students. The Practicum Period serves as an opportunity for students to develop and refine the craft of teaching. The Student Teaching Practicum Period may take one of two forms:

Supervised Practicum
The practicum candidate is typically employed by or paid a stipend by the practicum site, and works in the capacity of Assistant to an experienced and certified Montessori teacher.

Self-Directed Practicum
The self-directed practicum is not recommended and must be approved in advance by HMEI. Self-directed practicum candidates are typically employed by or paid a stipend by the practicum site, where the candidate serves as Lead Teacher. Although a Montessori Educator is not physically present in the classroom every day, regular access to, and conference with, an experienced and certified Montessori teacher who is identified and designated as the Practicum Supervising Teacher is required for HMEI approval. Special requirements are enforced in order for a self-directed practicum to be approved by HMEI, including at least one of the following:

Prior experience as an Assistant in a Montessori environment

Two or more years of previous teaching experience at the Infant/Toddler level

The written approval of the HMEI Academic Director

Practicum Models

The HMEI course director and the practicum supervisor will determine the appropriate model selection for the adult learner. They will consider:

The area of specialization (birth to 18 months or 18 months to 3 years)

The extent of the adult learner’s previous Montessori experience

Special professional purposes

Model 1: Infant Concentration (Birth to 18 Months)Prerequisite: Montessori credential or overview of Montessori principles. This model provides a period of concentration for the adult learner whose primary interest is the care and development of infants. Practicum is a minimum of 540 hours over a nine month period.

Model 2: Toddler Concentration (18 Months to 3 Years)Prerequisite: Montessori credential or overview of Montessori principles. This model provides a period of concentration for the adult learner whose primary interest is the care and development of toddlers. Practicum is a minimum of 540 hours over a nine month period.

Model 3: Special InterestPrerequisite: Montessori credential or overview of Montessori principles. This model is designed to meet the individual needs of a wide variety of professionals involved in child services, e.g., social workers, vocational child care specialists, pediatric nurses, Montessori administrators and consultants, and others. Candidate applies information received during the academic phase in a variety of setting for a minimum of 540 hours over a nine month period. The practicum is co-designed by the teacher education program and the candidate.

Field Consultant Visits

Three on-site evaluation visits by Field Consultants will be required for candidates engaged in a Supervised Practicum. Five on-site evaluation visits will be required for those involved in a Self-Directed Practicum.

School Observation Visits

All practicum candidates are required to participate in two 3-hour school observation visits during the course of the fall semester and two 3-hour school observation visits during the course of the spring semester.

Standards of Completion for Period III

The student teaching practicum site, as well as the supervising teacher, must be approved in advance by HMEI. American Montessori Society affiliated schools are strongly preferred as practicum sites. No part of the practicum may precede the beginning of the academic phase of the Education Course. Successful completion includes attendance and participation in all aspects of the Practicum Period, including School Observation visits; a passing grade on the Satisfaction of Practicum Requirements Report by the supervising Montessori teacher; a passing grade on all Practicum Evaluation Visit Reports by the designated Field Consultant.

Practicum Year Advanced Seminars(32 Academic Clock Hours)

Students will participate in two weekend seminars (Friday evening through Sunday) – Fall and Spring – during the Student Teaching Practicum Period. The seminars are imbedded into the Practicum Year as a strategy for providing students with opportunity to focus on relevant topics and issues. This is designed to enhance the Student Teaching Practicum experience. Seminars will include lectures, workshops, demonstrations, practice sessions and performance assessments specifically intended to extend the learning and comprehension acquired during Period II.

Fall Advanced Seminar

16 Clock Hours

Spring Advanced Seminar

16 Clock Hours

Standards of Completion for the Advanced Seminars

Successful completion of the Advanced Seminars includes attendance and participation in Fall and Spring sessions.